APL exec acquitted in Dubai smuggling case

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

An APL executive in Dubai accused of involvement in the smuggling of a shipment of handguns has been acquitted, according to a report Monday by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
As American Shipper reported Monday, Steve Dolan, a 27-year industry veteran with APL, was being held by Dubai authorities over a shipment of knock-off guns from Turkey to Djibouti last fall. The cargo was transshipped in Dubai.
Dolan, a vice president and managing director for APL in Dubai, and three colleagues (two from Sri Lanka and one from India) were implicated in the case, charges Dolan denied. His plight came to light over the weekend after the Post-Dispatch, his hometown newspaper, interviewed him.
According to Dolan’s account, his passport had been confiscated, he was coerced into signing a confession on a document written in Arabic, and he faced a lengthy prison sentence if found guilty.
“We can confirm that our employees charged with weapons transportation in Dubai have been found innocent,” an APL spokesperson said. “We are pleased with the closure of the case, and extend our appreciation to those who have expressed concern and support throughout the judicial process.”
On Monday, Dolan emailed the newspaper to say he had been acquitted, thanks in part to media coverage of the case.
“The media attention, especially after it got to the Dubai media, forced this decision rather quickly," Dolan wrote Monday. - Eric Johnson